Live Long and Garden

I don't know what I would do if I couldn't garden. We are very lucky to have the land to grow things on. Actually, at just under 7 acres, it can be a grind sometimes. There is always something to do here, and is kind of like painting a bridge, by the time you catch up, you have to start over again doing the myriad of things a property takes to maintain. I am in awe of the farmers who farm millions of acres all across America. But you might be surprised how much you can grow in a small yard. Also, Gardening Will Help You Live Longer!

By growing your own food you save money, you can guarantee the food you grow is fresh and free of pesticides. Also it is a very enjoyable activity to do every day of the year. We are lucky. We can grow all year long here.

Outdoor gardening is huge in America. Lawn and garden industry sales have topped $20 billion every year since 1990, and is currently a $24 billion a year industry in the U.S. That's a lot of tomatoes!

If you don't have a garden, there are many community gardens all over Martinez. If you know someone with a yard that is full of weeds maybe, ask them if you can clean it up and grow some vegetables. It could be a win win situation, they get a cleaned up yard, and fresh food, and you get a place to garden.

I recently read where people will pick your fruit trees for you and share the fruit. This is a great idea. So much food is wasted when it falls unpicked, and also creates problems under the trees with fruit flies, bugs and bee's in the rotting fruit.

When I was little I was absolutely amazed how a small seed could grow into a huge plant or tree. Putting seeds in a glass in the window and watching the miracle each day as the plant came to life was in itself a life changing event. This would also be a great gift idea for kids. Buy them some seeds, a bag of potting soil and some pots, and get them started in gardening. They might just eat their vegetables if they grew it themselves.

So many people I have known have lived long healthy lives who gardened. One lady I worked for was 94 and out there everyday in her garden. People would walk by and visit, and always leave with a nice bag of vegetables and fruit. She lived through the Great Depression and WW 2 when Victory Gardens sprung up all across America.

So gardening is not just turning soil and planting seeds and watering, it is so much more. And like so many things, you learn something new every day. For example, I just recently heard about growing potatoes in straw. So I now have to go buy a few bails of straw and try this. They said they are clean, and easy to harvest that way. And worst come to worst, straw is a good thing to have around for your garden.

In the photo I posted for this article I show our kitchen full of fresh picked fruits and vegetables I picked the other day. I got out at first light and it took about an hour to gather all the food. My wife probably thought I was nuts as I bought it all in and cleaned it, then decorated our kitchen with it. It was fun and then I planned dinner and bagged up some for friends.

Sure gardening is a learning experience, with some failures, but that makes the victories all that much sweeter. I am right now planning my winter garden and also already planning for next spring. Composting, turning new soil, trying not to spend much if any money and grow enough food for our family and friends, and also donate to food kitchens.

We live in a extraordinary place, California, and I feel very fortunate to be able to just walk outside and pick something to eat. Pick lemons and make some lemon aide. Make some fresh salsa and have burritos for dinner. Even if you have a patio that gets enough sunlight, you can make planter boxes and grow food. You can even hang a tomato plant from a window seal. Community Garden, the roof top gardens of New York City come to mind, use your imagination and get out and garden. And please share your gardening experiences and ideas here. I love hearing how people have managed to grow things wherever they live.